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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

There is nothing as cool as a live Christmas Tree. It looks good. It smells awesome. Decorated, it is a work of art. A Rockwell painting right in the corner.

But trees are like pets and kids, they need to be watched by responsible adults. So please plan to water your tree regularly. Make sure it sits in the stand right. A falling tree in your living room is simply dangerous. Do not place the tree near a heating vent or too close to the fireplace. Get new lights every two years. They are cheap. But cheap can be a problem when there is a cracked wire or an overextended electrical outlet.

Don't let the kids run around the tree. Glass Ornaments are gorgeous; yet if they break they can easily injure dogs, cats and youngsters.

Fraser Firs, found in our beautiful NC Mountains, are value priced and hold their water and their needles very well.

Many homes during the holidays are very accident prone. And they must be protected from fire. AA batteries in every smoke alarm will save a life.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Halo Everybody Halo!
First heard on 1940’s CBS Radio, and then continuing through the T.V. Seventies, Halo Shampoo featured the famous jingle that still dances in the heads of most Baby Boomers. It is as familiar as “Winston tastes good like a cigarette should” and “Oh, I’d like to be an Oscar Meyer wiener”; now, before you head to YouTube to play these jingles, please note that this article is not about shampoo, tobacco, or hot dogs. It is about the simplicity of selling. I just want salespeople to be remembered by their clients like those famous jingles of old.

Training people to be successful has always been my passion so I have developed a new sales strategy, Halo Selling, named in honor of that famous shampoo. This is a sales seminar focusing on the systems approach that I have been working on over the past few years. I wanted to introduce the process right here in Carolina Business Connection. Now, since angels are known to wear halos and to be near perfect beings, successful salespeople must be the same, especially in this economy.

A near perfect selling strategy is the only way to have eternally happy customers whose referrals generate even more referrals. It is that simple. This Halo Affect not only minimizes the problems of the cold call, but creates the strategies that can help make the salesperson so popular with the client base that customers will be singing loud praises just like the church choir. In sales, success always brings more success.

Here are the Ten Halo Selling Commandments that should indeed help put your sales into the heavens.

First Halo Commandment: Thou shall always listen more than thou speak. You must always remember that you can upset many customers by over- talking, but you can never hurt a deal by over- listening. Out-listening your customers is the key to sales prowess. You must plan and control your message. Active listening is critical. Listening for purpose is indeed a learned trait that is sometimes difficult to master.

Second Halo Commandment: Thou shall always be enthusiastic and passionate in public. No matter what is going on in your personal life, you are always on stage with your customer.

Third Halo Commandment: Thou shall always control the fear of asking for the business by being prepared. Consider ASK as an acronym for “Applying Strategy with Knowledge”. The order is often yours if you simply ASK for it.

Fourth Halo Commandment: Remember the customer is never wrong when profit is the central variable. Serve the customer; no matter the cost or sacrifice. It is about winning for your customer.

Sixth Halo Commandment: Honor your smile and sense of humor. If you have a great smile, use it. If you are funny, use it. No one wants to listen to a boring sales presentation.

Seventh Halo Commandment: Remember to always be patient. Use your sense of urgency and persistence with great care and control. Pushy is never a positive customer satisfaction ingredient.

Eighth Halo Commandment: Remember that the customer can eliminate you at any moment. No sale is a certain one. The customer controls all the decisions, and you are often the only deciding factor.

Ninth Halo Commandment: Thou shall always remember trust is everything in a relationship. If the client trusts you, the sale is a certain one if the needs and wants are met.

Tenth Halo Commandment: Honor the power of attitude. Attitude is a learned skill that only grows with practice. Customers are naturally attracted to positive, upbeat professionals.

The Sales Commandments should help determine your message and your plan of action. These two factors are everything in the sales game plan. You build a customer base just like you would build a congregation. You do it one seat at a time and one pew at a time. Soon both sides of the aisle will fill. Pay attention to your customers in a positive way and involve them in what you do. If you want heavenly sales and near perfect customer satisfaction, use these Ten Halo Commandments. Talk about them at your next sales meeting. Discuss the importance of being the best. You are in sales to serve others. You create solutions. These things must never be forgotten.

Good luck. Visit www.vtrconsulting.com and take advantage of the specials you see on the site.
Have fun and happy selling!

Jim Vogel is the owner of VTR Consulting LLC, a sales training, recruiting, and career services organization that customizes retail sales training to fit the needs and wants of the sales professional. VTR Consulting LLC offers classes and seminars of every length and sales purpose.

Sales Recruiting is now fast and easy with VTR’s “ad to inbox” interview process. Career Services includes resume writing and simple steps to write quality blog posts and articles for social networking.

Jim is also an Independent Insurance Agent for Woomer Insurance in Downtown Apex, N.C. Woomer Insurance is a full service agency located on Historic Salem Street. Its motto is: “Independent for you since 1932.”

A native of Detroit MI, Jim was an editor and internal communicator at Ford Motor Company for over two decades and spent almost 10 years with Hendrick Automotive Group in sales, sales training, hiring and recruiting. He has taught writing and public speaking classes at both the University of Michigan and the University of Phoenix.

About Me

It is not who you know or what you know, it is who knows you. I'm Jim Vogel, owner of www.IMUSocialMedia.com. a DBA in NC(Social Media Content). We do blogs and other social media content for businesses. We help create and present your message to a vast audience.
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